ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT wildcat.arizona.edu Thursday, February 12, 2004 The University of Arizona, Tucson PEACEFUL PRAYER MONKS BRING ART FORM TO CAMPUS Center By Walter E. Staton STAFF WRITER hopes to itting on blue and teal pil- lows, a Tibetan monk Sdraped in a maroon robe promote leaned close to the ground to touch up a yin and yang sym- bol the size of a thumbnail. The symbol is a tiny detail in diversity a colorfully intricate sand art piece called a “mandala” that 11 monks are creating in the UofA By Walter E. Staton Bookstore. STAFF WRITER Tsewang Dorje took a break from working on the mandala and sat behind the information Social justice, diversity and multicultural- table, dispensing literature to ism make for murky waters, but one center on curious onlookers. campus intends to clarify these issues. The group has been travel- The Multicultural Leadership Center was ing in the United States for six founded last fall to promote diversity on cam- months. It has visited universi- pus and reach out to minority students. And ties and high schools in 18 now the center’s director, Michelle Espino, is states so far, sharing its culture envisioning something bigger. and traditions with people “There is a fear out there in talking about across the country. things like ethnicity and sexual orientation,” The monks take turns work- Espino said. “What has not happened on this ing on the sand mandala so campus is an opportunity for dialogue between communities.” they can rest, eat and staff their The MLC, located on the fourth floor of the information and gift tables. Student Union Memorial Center, is not much “Your back gets very sore larger than a room in a residence hall, but the from leaning over,” Dorje said, issues Espino wants the center to address as he rubbed his lower back. RANDY METCALF/Arizona Daily Wildcat reach every corner of campus. “We must also breath slowly Four Tibetan monks lean over a Mandala, an ancient form of sand art that symbolizes peace and healing, in Espino’s primary concern is social justice, and be careful not to sneeze.” the UofA BookStore Tuesday. The monks will be on campus through Sunday demonstrating ceremonies and and she wants the center renamed the Social It will take the monks five rituals as part of a tour across the United States to share Tibetan culture. Justice Leadership Center. days to finish the dinner table- “We are trying to get people to support rub it with the other, causing a tlesnake-like noise of the monastery when he was 9 years sized art. Then they will destroy issues of social justice, because in the end, it small amount of sand to trickle chakpurs rubbing together. old. He had never traveled to it. affects everyone,” Espino said. Creating the mandala out. Dorje, along with the other America but is enjoying his For Espino, the term “multicultural” does- requires patience, Dorje said. Dorje explained the mandala monks, studies at the Drepung experience here. n’t fully represent the underlying ideals of the Up to four monks work on it at is created for the Buddha and Gomang Monastery in “It’s amazing. You have great MLC. People usually only associate concepts a time, bent over to meticulous- for healing. Southeast India. They spent the roads and continuous electricity. like race or ethnicity with “multicultural.“ ly place brightly colored sand “Everybody needs peace and past year learning how to make It’s very nice,” Dorje said. Social justice is more inclusive, emphasiz- on a blue platform. The design love,” Dorje said. sand mandalas for their trip to He also said he likes eating ing issues like class, ability, gender, sexual ori- was sketched onto the platform The monks meditate while America, Dorje said. at McDonald’s and Burger King. entation and privilege, Espino said. when the monks began their they work, reciting prayers and Drepung Gomang was the “We always look for the big yel- Students and administrators alike are excit- work Tuesday. scripture. Dorje described the largest monastery in Tibet low M,” he said. ed by Espino’s vision, saying they share her The sand is poured through mandala as a palace for before the Chinese occupied Behind the monks and passion for social justice issues. long, narrow funnels called meditation. Tibet in 1959 and destroyed the Mandala is the technology store Saundra Taylor, executive vice president for “chakpurs.” The monks each Sometimes they briefly chat monastery, Dorje said. Many in the bookstore. Campus Life, supports the center’s new direc- use two ridged chakpurs to with each other in Tibetan while monks were exiled to India, “We are doing ancient tech- tion. She said the center is doing something pour the sand into place. They they refill or change sand colors. where they have rebuilt the nology next to modern different on campus by moving the diversity fill one chakpur with sand and Otherwise, the only sound com- monastary. ing from the mandala is the rat- Dorje, now 28, joined the See TIBET/7 See CENTER/6 Students show off research projects Proposed law “I got experience doing lab work By Jessica Lee and learned a lot about sound addresses state STAFF WRITER waves,” said Heather Watson, a German studies junior. Watson Standing next to a colorful dis- investigated the possibility of nursing crisis play of artwork inspired by a sum- detecting defects in underground mer in Chiapas, Mexico, Marisol pipes by studying the changes in Badilla turned pages in her photo ultrasonic sound waves. When the album that depicted the effects of Kinder Morgan gasoline pipeline By Bob Purvis neo-liberalism in the town of San broke in Tucson last summer, LEGISLATIVE CORRESPONDENT Cristobal de las Casas. Watson’s research became locally “Here is a wealthy couple, with relevant. PHOENIX — A nurse advocacy group says legislation lighter skin, eating at a Domino’s,” “This will hopefully be a more that would delegate nursing home duties to less skilled Badilla said, as she pointed to the efficient way to test pipelines, which workers rather than registered nurses will threaten black-and-white photos. “And here will prevent breakages,” Watson patients’ safety and make it harder for UA nursing students are the indigenous children eating said. to find jobs. the leftovers.” To do her project, environmental The Southern Arizona Nurses Coalition is opposing Badilla, an art and Spanish litera- hydrology and water resources jun- bills introduced by Rep. Deb Gullet, R-Phoenix, which ture junior, was one of 32 students ior Erin Gleeson wanted to get out would create a pilot program allowing certified nursing selected by the Honors College last of the lab. Her research on a herbiv- assistants to administer medication to nursing home year to conduct an undergraduate orous land crab flew her to Costa patients, and allowing minimally trained workers to assist research project. The students pre- Rica. By boat and by foot, she trav- feeding at the homes. sented the results of their research EVAN CARAVELLI/Arizona Daily Wildcat eled to the Corcovado National Gullet said the programs are simply a response to a Marisol Badilla, an art and Spanish literature junior, dis- yesterday at the 17th Annual Park to study the effects the crabs statewide nursing crisis, and that they could potentially cusses her photography and the effects of neo-liberalism in Undergraduate Research Forum in Mexico her artwork, yesterday during the Undergraduate Bear Down Gym. Research Forum. See RESEARCH/7 See NURSING/7 UA composer Men’s hoops digitizes Valentine’s returns home God battle of the sexes after road losses PAGE 9 PAGE 5 PAGE 21.